I Met A Girl
by BurlapAndBows
Summary: Christian and Ana meet under different circumstances. No Elena or BDSM.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: All characters belong to E.L. James.**

* * *

I walk into the coffee shop and café that's around the corner from Escala. I get in line behind a petite, brown haired woman. After she's picks up her order and turns around, the breath is knocked out of me. She is absolutely beautiful and has incredible blue eyes. She's gives me a shy smile and moves to find a table.

I pick up my order and look around to find a table, but there isn't one open. I spot the brown haired beauty and notice the empty seat at her table and walk towards her.

"Mind if I sit here?"

"Not at all," she replies very quietly.

I sit down and introduce myself.

"I'm Christian."

She smiles and says, "I'm Ana."

"So Ana, tell me about yourself."

"There's not much to tell. I just moved here last week from Portland."

"Where do you work?"

"I just graduated from WSU Vancouver with a degree in business and finance. I don't have a job yet, but I'm trying to find one."

"I might be able to help you if you're interested. My company has an excellent internship program."

"Where do you work?"

"Grey Enterprise Holdings."

"Thanks, I'll look into it."

I don't have any business cards on me so I grab a napkin and write down my number. I slide it towards her and say, "if you have any questions or need any help, feel free to call me or text me any time."

"Thank you."

"My pleasure."

I really hope she applies. I'll personally see to it that she gets a position so I can get to know this beautiful girl.

We both have finished our drinks and Ana says, "it was really nice talking to you Christian, but I need to get going."

"I actually need to be going myself. I'm working from home today and I need to get back to it. Please let me walk you out."

We head outside and say goodbye, but we start heading in the same direction. Ana giggles and it's the cutest sound I've ever heard. We keep walking and when we get to Escala, she heads towards the doors.

"You live here?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well I'll be damned. I do too. I guess that means we'll be seeing more of each other."

"I hope so," she says quietly and blushes.

 _So do I pretty girl, so do I._

We head towards the elevator and when we get in she presses the 20th floor button. I then type in the code for the penthouse.

"You live in the penthouse?"

"I do."

"Fancy."

The doors close and we begin travelling upwards. We arrive on the 20th floor and Ana goes to leave the elevator.

"See you around Christian."

"Bye Ana."

The elevator closes and starts up towards the penthouse. I may not know much about her yet, but I think it's safe to say I'm in so much trouble when it comes to this girl.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been a week since I met Ana and I haven't seen or heard from her since then. I thought about finding out which unit she lives in and going to see her, but I don't want to come on too strong or risk scaring her. I'm bound to run into her eventually, so I guess I'll just wait it out even though I can't stop thinking about her.

I get into the elevator and head down to the parking garage where Taylor, my driver/CPO, is waiting to take me to work. The elevator stops on the way down and when the doors open, standing on the other side is none other than the beautiful girl who has consumed my thoughts for the past week.

"Hi, Christian."

"Good morning, Ana."

She steps into the elevator, presses the button to close the doors, and we begin traveling down.

"So Ana, how have you been?"

"Great actually. I got a job."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. I've been meaning to call you, but things have been kind of crazy this past week."

"No worries. So, where are you working?"

"Seattle Independent Publishing."

"Really? How did that happen? I mean that really has nothing to do with business or finance."

"No, it doesn't. It's kind of a long story. How about you come to my place for dinner tonight and I'll tell you about it."

"I would love to."

The elevator arrives in the parking garage and we step out.

"Great. Say 6:30?"

"Works for me."

"Perfect. I live in unit 2005."

"It's a date."

She blushes and heads towards her car and I head towards mine.

"Good. Have a good day at work, Christian."

"You too, Ana."

* * *

It's almost 5:00 so I decide to wrap things up for the day. I want to stop on the way home and pick up some flowers for Ana. I head to the security office to let Taylor know I'm ready to leave.

On our way to the elevator, we run into Ros, my second-in-command.

"You look awfully chipper, Christian. You got a hot date or something?"

"I guess you could say that."

"You don't give much away, do you?"

"There isn't much to give away. I just met her a week ago."

"Well, good luck. Not that you need it."

"Thanks, Ros. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Christian."

* * *

We arrive at the flower shop, but I have no idea what kind of flowers to buy her. This sales girl must notice the lost look on my face.

"Is there anything I can help you with, sir."

"I'm trying to decide what kind of flowers to buy my date, but I have no idea what to get."

"I just put together a beautiful arrangement of peonies. Would you like to see them?"

"Sure."

She walks over to where they're sitting and they're perfect. They're the same shade of pink as Ana's adorable blush.

"They're perfect. I'll take them."

"Great."

I pay for the flowers and head back to Escala. I still have about 45 minutes before I need to be at Ana's, so I decide to take a quick shower and change clothes. I dress in dark blue jeans and a black, long sleeve Henley.

* * *

It's 6:15, so I decide to head down to Ana's. I knock on the door and she opens it with the biggest smile on her face.

"Hi, Christian. Please come in."

"Hi, Ana. I brought you some flowers."

I hand her the flowers and she places them on the table in her entry way.

"They're beautiful. Peonies are my favorite. Thank you so much!"

 _Score!_

"You're most welcome."

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Water would be great."

"Coming right up. Dinner should be ready soon. I made lasagna. I hope that's okay."

"Perfect. I love lasagna."

Ana hands me a glass of water and then pulls the lasagna out of the oven. She dishes it out on to plates and carries them over to the table where there is a bowl of salad and basket of garlic bread waiting. We sit down and settle into our dinner.

"So Ana, tell me about your family."

"How about you tell me about yours first. I'll tell you about mine after we eat when I tell you how I ended up working for a publishing house."

 _I wonder what that's about?_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: In my story, Christian, Elliot, and Mia are Grace and Carrick's biological children and Ana is Ray's biological daughter.**

* * *

"Well, my father, Carrick, is a lawyer. My mother, Grace, is a doctor. My brother, Elliot, owns his own construction company and my sister, Mia, is in New York studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology."

"I know you said you worked at Grey Enterprise Holdings, but what exactly do you do there?"

This girl has no idea who I am and I love it.

"I'm the CEO."

Her fork full of lasagna stops midair and her jaw drops open. After a few seconds, she sets her fork down before asking:

"You're Christian Grey?"

"I am."

"Oh my gosh! I feel like an idiot. I've heard of you before, but I've never seen a picture. I'm so sorry."

"Hey, don't worry about it. I like that you didn't know who I am."

"Really?"

"Really. Women are always flirting and throwing themselves at me and guys are always acting like we're best friends. It's a nice change."

"If you say so."

* * *

We have finished dinner and after helping Ana clear the table, we sit down on the couch in her living room.

"So, Ana, now that you know my last name, I think it's only fair that you tell me yours."

"Steele."

"And is Ana short for something?"

"Anastasia."

"Anastasia Steele. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

She blushes her adorable blush and says, "thank you."

"Now tell me about your family."

"Well for starters, I'm an only child. My mom, Carla, passed away when I was five from cancer. My dad, Ray, was killed in a car accident when I was fourteen. After that, I went to live with my grandparents."

"Your mom's parents or your dad's?"

"My dad's. My mom's parents passed away before I was born."

"Oh Ana, I'm so sorry. I can't imagine what it would be like to lose both parents."

"It was really hard, but my grandparents were a huge help."

"So how did you end up working at publishing house?"

"Well my grandfather was an investment banker. He was really good at what he did and had a lot of high profile clients. I started taking an interest in what he did after I went to live with them. When he got home from work in the evenings, he would always tell me about his day and I found it fascinating. I would even go to work with him sometimes when I was out of school. I decided when I was sixteen that I wanted to follow in his footsteps, so that's why I majored in business and finance. Then in January, he passed away very unexpectedly from a heart attack. At that point, I lost all interest in business and finance. He was one of my best friend's and I admired and looked up to him so much. I no longer wanted to do anything that would remind me of him every single day."

Tears are streaming down her face so I reach over and wipe them away with my thumbs. This poor girl. I can't even imagine what she's been through with losing all these people in her life. I have no idea what to do or say so I say the only thing I can think of right now which is: "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

"So where's your grandmother?"

"She moved into a retirement home back in March because she hated living alone in their house. They were married for fifty-two years and they were very rarely apart. When he had to travel, she usually went with him. When she didn't, he was only gone for a day or two at a time. She wanted to move somewhere where she could be around people all the time."

"That's understandable."

"Yeah, she seems pretty happy there. I go and take her out to lunch or dinner once a week and I talk to her on the phone just about every day."

"So the publishing house?"

"Right. I've always loved reading and writing. It really helped me deal with losing my parents. It allowed me to escape to an imaginary world where I could pretend everything was right and I didn't have to be sad. So when I got to college, I took all the literature classes I could and that my schedule would allow. I had never really thought about making a career out of it until my grandfather passed away. Not long after he passed, I sat down with my advisor to talk about my options. I was too close to being done to change my major, but I wanted to see how much longer I would have stay in school to get a second degree. It was then that she told me I had taken enough literature credits to qualify for a minor in English Lit. I was patrolling the local job boards when I came across a listing for an editor's assistant position, so I applied. I never expected to hear anything back, but they called me in for an interview the day after we met and they hired me on the spot."

"Wow, Ana. That's great."

"Yeah. So, what about you? Where did you go to college?"

"Harvard. I actually majored in business and finance as well. When I graduated, my parents gave me the start-up money for GEH. I was able to pay them back after I closed my first deal and still pocket a hefty chunk of change. So I've spent the past six years building it into what is today."

"From what I know about it, it's a pretty impressive company."

"I'd like to think so."

For the first time all night, she giggles and it makes me smile.

We spend the next little bit getting to know more about each other. Our favorite movies, music, foods; you name it, we probably talked about it. I also found out that her dad was a carpenter who built custom furniture and cabinets and her mom was a dental hygienist before she got sick.

I look at my watch and notice it's almost 10:00.

"As much as I don't want this night to end, I better get going. I have an early breakfast meeting in the morning and I need to get to bed."

"I better head to bed myself. I'll walk you to the door."

"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow?"

"I would love to."

"Great. I'll pick you up at 7:00."

"It's a date," she says repeating the words I said earlier today.

We get to the door and I bend down and kiss her on the cheek. She blushes and says: "You better kiss the other one so it doesn't get jealous."

 _This girl._ I can't help but chuckle.

"We don't want that, do we?"

"No we don't."

I bend down and kiss the other cheek before opening the door to leave.

"Goodnight, Miss Steele."

"Goodnight, Mr. Grey."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Can't wait."

I walk out the door and Ana stands in the doorway watching me walk away until I reach the elevator. I look over my shoulder and wink at her. I get in the elevator and head up towards the penthouse.

I have no doubt in mind that Anastasia Steele is the future Mrs. Christian Grey.


	4. Chapter 4

It's been six weeks since mine and Ana's first date and tonight, I'm asking her to be my girlfriend. I would have done it weeks ago, but there was a minor setback when her ex-boyfriend, Matt, showed up drunk at her apartment at 2:00 am.

They apparently broke up shortly after her grandfather passed away because Ana found out that he had been cheating on her. She said they were together about eight months and he had been cheating on her for six of them. He came to try and win her back because the girl he had been cheating on Ana with, cheated on him.

 _Karma's a bitch, buddy._

She kept telling him no and asking him to leave, but he wouldn't. Ana called me upset and asked me to come help her. Taylor and I went to down to her apartment, where Taylor escorted him to the lobby. When he began making a scene, building security called the police and Matt was arrested and charged with public intoxication and disorderly conduct.

Ana was pretty upset and I just held her and wiped away her tears until she fell asleep. Then I carried her to bed and tucked her in. I thought about sleeping on the couch so I would be there when she woke up, but I didn't want to risk freaking her out. I decided to leave her a note telling her to call me when she woke up before locking up her apartment and heading back up to the penthouse.

She was kind of closed off for a few days after it happened and wouldn't talk to me. She wouldn't answer her phone or respond to texts. She also wouldn't answer the door when I went to her apartment. She finally called me and asked if I would come down to her apartment so we could talk. I went down immediately because I missed her like crazy and was very worried about her.

When I got there, she opened the door and threw herself into my arms and wouldn't let go for a good five minutes. I carried her into the apartment and sat down on the couch with her on my lap. After she looked up, I took her face in between my hands and kissed her like my life depended it on it.

After the kiss, she told me how sorry she was for being closed off. She said him showing up brought back the memories of what it felt like to lose her grandfather and then having her heart broken even more to find out her boyfriend had been cheating on her. I told her it was okay and that I completely understood.

Other than that, things have been amazing. We've eaten dinner together almost every night. I've taken her out sailing on my boat and flying in my helicopter. We've also kissed. A lot. We're practically boyfriend/girlfriend already, we just haven't made it official yet.

I haven't introduced her to my family yet either, but I plan on doing that after she's officially my girlfriend. They don't even know that I've been seeing someone, so it'll be quite a surprise when I show up to Sunday dinner with her.

Tonight, we'll be doing Ana's favorite kind of date night before I ask her to be my girlfriend. She likes when we order pizza or take out and watch television.

* * *

It's 6:00 and Ana is supposed to be here at 6:30. She wanted Japanese food tonight so I go ahead and call in our order. Hopefully it will get here not long after she does. After I place our order, I decide to grab a quick shower and put on some sweatpants and a t-shirt. Ana all but demanded we wear our "comfy clothes" when we have these kind of date nights.

* * *

Ana shows up promptly at 6:30. She's wearing sweatpants and a t-shirt that is way too big for her with her hair piled in a bun on top of her head. She looks incredibly beautiful. We haven't seen each other in a few days because I've been going in early and working late to work on closing a big deal. I left before Ana got up and didn't get home until after she had gone to bed.

She comes barreling out of the elevator and leaps into my arms. I hold her to me for several minutes before I take her face between my hands and kiss her. After pulling away, she looks up at with the biggest smile on her face.

"Hi."

"Hi yourself."

"I've missed you."

"I've missed you more."

"I highly doubt that Miss Steele. I think I've missed you more."

"Settle for a tie?"

"Deal," I say while sticking my hand out for her to shake.

After releasing her hand and tucking some stray hairs behind her ear, I ask:

"Would you like something to drink? Our dinner should be here soon."

"Water please."

"You got it."

After I hand Ana her glass, the front desk calls to let me know the food has arrived. Since I gave Taylor the night off, I head down to the lobby to get it.

"I'll be right back."

"Okay, I'll find something for us to watch."

When I return, Ana is sitting on the couch watching _The Office_ _._ It's one of her favorite shows and I like it too.

After sitting the food containers on the coffee table, I get myself a glass of water and join Ana on the couch.

We dig into our food and enjoy each other's company while watching TV.

* * *

After we finish our dinner and I throw away our trash, I rejoin Ana on the couch. I turn towards her and take both of her hands in mine. This is it. I'm going to ask her to be my girlfriend. I know she'll say yes, but I'm still a little nervous.

"Ana, I have something to ask you. I've been wanting to ask you for a while now and I don't know why it's taken me so long to do it."

"Okay?"

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

"I kind of thought I already was," she says while blushing.

"So, is that a yes?"

"Yes, of course it is."

 _I have never been happier._

I pull her to me and kiss her deeply. She then crawls into my lap, wraps her arms around my neck, and snuggles into me. We sit in silence for what seems like hours before Ana lifts her head and says:

"You know, you're kind of my Snuffleupagus."

"What?"

"You know Snuffleupagus from Sesame Street?"

"Of course I know who he is, but how I am your Snuffleupagus?"

"Well you know how Big Bird use to be the only one that saw him? He would always talk about him, but everyone thought he was imaginary because they had never seen him. Then one day, Big Bird finally introduced them to Snuffleupagus and they saw that he was real?"

"Yeah?"

"Well the girls at work have been trying to set me up with one of the guys that works there. I've been telling them that I wasn't interested because I have a guy in my life. I think that they think that I've been making you up because I really don't have any proof that you exist. Now, I can introduce you to them and they'll believe me."

 _This girl is so freaking cute._

"Well I guess if I'm your Snuffleupagus, that makes you my Big Bird."

"I guess it does."

I take her face between my hands, softly kiss her lips, and say they words I've been dying to say for weeks now:

"I love you, Bird."

"I love you too, Snuffy."

* * *

 **A/N: Big Bird and Snuffleupagus belong to The Jim Henson Company.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Sorry for my absence. I've been at a weird place in life and I've been trying to get it figured out. In the process, I lost interest in writing. I recently started a new a job so I'm not sure how often I'll get to write/update, but I won't abandon my story.**

 **Thanks for understanding.**

 **\- B &B**

* * *

It's Sunday and tonight, I'm taking Ana to dinner at my parent's house. I think she's pretty nervous, but I know that my family will love her.

I head down to her apartment to pick her up. When she opens the door, I can't help but smile.

"Hi, pretty girl."

"Hi. Will you come in for a minute?"

"Sure. What's up, baby?"

She blushes that adorable shade of pink.

"I get butterflies every time you call me that."

"Well, I'll keep doing it then."

"Christian, I have something to tell you. It's really not a big deal, but I want you to know because I don't want us to have any secrets."

"Okay?"

"Matt sent me a note."

"What did it say?"

"Why don't I just let you read it?"

"Only if you want to."

"I don't mind. I don't have anything to hide."

"Well, okay then."

She hands me the letter and I begin reading.

 _Ana,_

 _I am so very sorry for what happened. I had absolutely no business showing up to your apartment. Cheating on you was the biggest mistake I've ever made. I wish you nothing but the best._

 _Matt_

"Ana, I know it's really none of my business, but how did he even know where you live?"

"Well, my Grandpa bought me this place for Christmas because he knew I wanted to move to Seattle after I graduated. He always wanted me to have the best of the best, so he took it upon himself to find me somewhere to live. I came to check it out while I was on Christmas break and Matt came with me."

"Can I ask you another question about something that's really none of my business?"

"I guess so."

"How did you find out Matt was cheating on you?"

"I was having a particularly bad day about two weeks after my Grandpa passed away. After I got done with my classes, I decided to go to his apartment because I wanted him to hold me and tell me everything would be okay. I got there and knocked on the door, but he wasn't answering. I knew he was home because his car was there and I could hear that the TV was on. I thought maybe he had fallen asleep so I decided to let myself in because I had a key. He wasn't in the living room so I walked back to his bedroom and he was lying in bed asleep with some blonde and they were both were buck naked. I just turned around and walked out. I texted him and said 'We're over. I hope the blonde was worth it _._ ' Then, I went home and cried myself to sleep."

"Then what happened?"

"He called me and texted me multiple times, but I ignored him. Then about a week later he showed up at my apartment apologizing, begging for forgiveness, and asking for a second chance. I told him that I forgave him, but there was no way I could ever forget. I also told him that there was definitely no way I would ever get back together with him. Then he just left and I hadn't heard from or seen him until he showed up here drunk."

"You forgave him just like that?"

"I really didn't see the point in holding a grudge. I was thinking about breaking up with him anyways and it just helped me make my decision. I loved him, but I wasn't in love with him and I definitely never saw myself having a future with him in terms of marriage and kids. To be honest, we were more like best friends who kissed."

"Friends who kissed?"

"Yep."

"So, the two of you never slept together?"

"No, we didn't. He wanted to, but I wasn't ready for that. I guess that's why he went elsewhere to get what he wasn't getting from me."

"For what it's worth, I think he's an idiot for doing that to you."

"Thanks."

I take her face between my hands and softly kiss her lips.

"Are you ready to go?"

"I guess so."

"Don't be nervous, they're going to love you, baby."


	6. Chapter 6

We arrive to my parent's house and ring the doorbell to signal our arrival before I open the door so we can walk in. My parents meet us in the foyer.

I thought about showing up without telling them I was bringing Ana, but I thought it would be easier on her if I gave them a head's up.

"Mom, Dad, this beautiful girl is my girlfriend, Anastasia Steele. Ana, these are my parents, Grace and Carrick."

My mom engulfs Ana in a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you, dear."

"It's nice to meet you, too, Dr. Grey."

"Please, call me Grace."

My dad sticks out his hand for Ana to shake.

"It's nice to meet you, young lady."

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Grey."

"Call me Carrick. Your last name is Steele? Any relation to Richard Steele?"

"He was my grandpa."

"We played golf together. He often talked about his granddaughter named Ana and I thought you might be her. He was good man."

"He was the best. I miss him every day."

"He is missed by everyone."

It's unusually quiet, so I ask: "Where is everyone?"

My mom replies: "Mia is in the living room with Candace. Elliot went to the airport to pick Kate up, so they'll be here shortly."

Mia got home for summer vacation last night. Candace has been her best friend since their freshman year of high school. Kate is my brother's girlfriend and they've been together almost a year.

"I thought she came back yesterday?"

"She was supposed to, but her mom's surgery got pushed back so she had to stay an extra day."

We walk towards the living room, but once we get there, Ana stops dead in her tracks. I turn to see what's wrong, but she turns around and bolts out of the room and out the front door. After the shock wears off, I go to follow her. I find her sitting on the front steps and sit down beside her.

"Baby, what's wrong?"

"Candace."

"What about her?"

"I went to school with her and she bullied me."

 _Something else to add to the list of reasons I don't like her._

"How so?"

"Well, I was always kind of a loner and didn't have many friends. During recess, I would always sit under a tree and read. She used to tell me I would never get a boyfriend and I would probably marry a book someday if I could. I was also kind of a chubby kid so she used to call me fat and tell me I was ugly. She made fun of me for wearing glasses. I could go on and on with ways she used to bully me."

"You never told an adult?"

"I didn't want to give her more reason to bully me. I had a friend named Katie, though. We met in first grade when we were made partners for an art project. We became best friends almost instantly. She always stood up for me when she could, but being in different classes throughout school made that difficult. I somehow always ended up in the same class as Candace so it happened more often than not. Katie moved away in 7th grade so then the bullying became relentless. I did a really good job of ignoring it until my dad died when I was in 8th grade."

"What happened then?"

"She started calling me Little Orphan Annie and saying my parents died just to get away from me. I tried really hard to ignore it, but I couldn't take it anymore. I went home from school crying and begging and pleading for my grandparents to let me switch schools. After telling them why, they let me. This is the first time I've seen her since then."

 _My poor girl._

"Why would she bully you though?"

"I don't know. Katie always told me she was jealous that my family had money and hers didn't."

"Are you still friends with Katie? I haven't heard you mention her before."

"I haven't talked to her in years. We tried to stay in touch, but she moved to Philadelphia, so the distance kind of got in the way. Me not being on social media didn't help matters either. We used to have sleepovers all the time and were practically inseparable. I miss her a lot."

"Well, we can leave if you want to. I can tell my parents you aren't feeling well."

"We can't. If we do, she'll win again and I can't let that happen."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Seeing her just brought all that back and I needed a minute."

"Are you ready to go back in?"

"Yeah, but how am I going to explain this to your parents?"

"I'll tell them the truth. I've never liked Candace. She always looks at Elliot and I like we're pieces of meat. I'm also convinced she's only friends with Mia because her last name is Grey. Elliot and my parents feel the same way."

The only reason she ended up at the private school where she and my sister met was because her dad got injured on the job and he used the settlement money to pay for it. They blew through the money pretty quick and were broke by the time she graduated high school.

"Christian, you can't. I don't want to stir up any trouble. I just me your parents and I don't want them to think poorly of me."

"I promise you that they won't. They don't really like her anyways, but they tolerate her for Mia's sake and so does Elliot. I just ignore her."

"Well, I don't want your sister to hate me. Plus, it's my word against hers."

"Mia will get over it. As far as her word goes, I would believe a talking dog before I believed anything that came out of her mouth. I'm sure my parents would, too. Besides, you don't have any reason to make something like that up."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I love you, Snuffy."

I lean over and kiss her.

"I love you, Bird."

I stand up and hold out my hand to help her up. We walk back in the house and into the living where my family and Candace are sitting. My mom is the first to speak.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, some unpleasant memories were brought up and Ana needed a minute to clear her head."

"What kind of unpleasant memories?"

"Well it seems Candace use to bully Ana in school to the point where Ana had to transfer to a different school to get away from her."

We all look towards Candace. Her face has paled and she looks like a deer caught in headlights.

 _Guilty._

"Candace, is this true?"

"Dr. Grey, I… I… I..."

I think it's hysterical that my mom has never asked Candace to call her Grace.

"I think it's best you leave."

Mia is quick to speak.

"Mom, why do you believe a girl you just met over someone you've known for years?"

"Mia, I know you don't want to hear or believe it, but she's only friends with you because she's looking for a status boost. I'm also convinced she's hoping to get one of your brothers into bed."

 _My mom has some gall._

Now Candace looks even more guilty than she did before. She gets up, grabs her purse, and walks out the front door without saying anything and Mia runs after her.

After about ten minutes, Mia comes back in looking defeated.

"Guys, I'm really sorry. I don't know why I didn't see what you did. She pretty much confessed that everything Mom said was true and that she did bully Ana. I thought she really was my friend, but I guess I was wrong."

My mom walks over to hug her.

"Mia, sweetheart, I know you're upset, but you'll be better off without her."

"I think so, too."

After she and my mom are finished, she walks over to me for a hug.

"I'm really sorry I never listened to you, Christian."

"It's okay, Mia."

Mia then turns to Ana.

"I'm really sorry for what happened. It's really good to meet you."

"It's good to meet you, too. And, it's not your fault."

* * *

About thirty minutes later, my brother and Kate finally arrive.

They walk into the room and we all stand to greet them, but Ana and Kate are gaping at one another and the room falls silent. The rest of us are looking at each other trying to figure out what's going on until Kate finally speaks.

"Annie?"

"Katie?"

"Oh my gosh! It really is you!"

 **A/N: For those who may be wondering, everyone is the same age that they are in E.L. James' story. The time of year is currently mid-June.**


	7. Author's Note

It's been almost a month and half since I last updated and I sincerely apologize. I have a lot of ideas for my story, but I've been having a difficult time putting pen to paper. I've also had a lot on mind lately in trying to figure what's next for me. I'm a college graduate with a business degree who is working part time as a grocery store cashier because the job market where I live sucks; it's beyond frustrating. Patience is not my strong suit, but I know that God has a plan and He will open a door for me when the time is right. I'm hoping to get a new chapter out in the next couple of weeks. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

\- B&B


End file.
